Emily Nepon

Emily Nepon is a playwright, performer, drag king, and activist.

Bill O'Brien

Wrestling with Esther: Purim Spiels, Gender, and Political Dissidence

Modern Purim celebrations use the traditional play as a vehicle for popular education around a broad range of issues by playing with the iconic roles typified by the Megilla’s characters: good girl, bad girl, stupid king, valiant citizen, evil politician. These traditional players can easily and informatively be mixed up with any combination of modern kings, s/heroes, insider/outsider activists, popular resistance movements, and evildoers-ex-machina.